Fortitude: Turning Tragedy into Action

PAN & SAM

A podcast by the Parent Action Network (PAN), a division of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), dedicated to amplifying the voices of parents whose lives have been devastated by the harmful effects of marijuana. Each episode features personal interviews with parents sharing their heart-wrenching stories of loss, addiction, and the impact on their families. Through these powerful narratives, PAN aims to educate, inspire, and mobilize listeners to take action against the widespread dangers of marijuana use.

  1. Aug 13

    From Marijuana to Fentanyl-A South Dakota Mom Grieves Out Loud to Spread Awareness

    One choice. One unknowable contaminant. One phone call that changes a family forever. We’re joined by Angela Kennecke, a journalist-turned-advocate and the founder of Emily’s Hope and the Grieving Out Loud Podcast, to share the life of her daughter Emily and the brutally real path that ended with fentanyl-laced heroin. Emily was smart, artistic, athletic, and loved deeply, which is exactly why this story lands so hard: addiction, marijuana, and fentanyl poisoning don’t wait for a “type” of kid, and they don’t care how much a parent tried to do everything right. We talk through the long arc many families recognize: early marijuana use, shifting friend groups, secrecy, a boyfriend’s influence, and the exhausting cycle of tactics that don’t work. Angela breaks down why punishment and constant policing pushed Emily further away, and how she tried to hold firm boundaries without cutting off connection. We also dig into what parents and professionals still underestimate, including high potency THC, the developing teen brain, cannabis use disorder, and the way today’s drug supply makes the "I thought it was just weed” or "just a pill” a dangerous assumption. From the wreckage of loss, Angela built action: Emily’s Hope treatment scholarships, a K–12 substance use prevention curriculum, youth-led education, post-overdose support, and naloxone access that meets people where they are. We also explore why she created the Grieving Out Loud podcast and what it means to speak about addiction and overdose grief without shame. If you care about teen drug education, substance use disorder resources, or how to talk to kids before the first high, this conversation gives you language, perspective, and a reason to start today. You can learn more about Emily's Hope and the Grieving Out Loud Podcast by clicking on the links.  If you are interested in sharing your story on the Fortitude Podcast please get in touch with Crissy at crissy@learnaboutsam.org Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

  2. Jul 22

    From Normalcy to Chaos: How "Legal" Marijuana Stole the Future of a Maryland Mom's Son

    A teenager can look “fine” right up until the day everything isn’t. Sarah, a mom from Maryland, joins me to share how marijuana became the factor that reshaped her entire family system. Starting with subtle changes during COVID, hear from Sarah how internet access, the use of high-potency THC products and driving while under the influence, all converge to create the perfect storm. We talk candidly about what the early warning signs actually looked like in real life: pushing for more device freedom, growing defiance, turning off Life360, and repeating the talking points so many teens hear now like “it’s natural” and “it’s just a plant.” Sarah walks through the moment she discovered her son used marijuana, and how that first “normal” parenting response quickly turned into a much larger crisis as vaping, secrecy, other drug use and escalating risk came to life.  From weekly drug testing and searching for paraphernalia to uncovering LSD, mushrooms, kratom, and even signs of dealing, the story exposes how teen substance use can be deeply dangerous. We also get practical about solutions, the barriers families hit when trying to find treatment for cannabis use disorder, why credible resources like Johnny’s Ambassadors and Smart Approaches to Marijuana helped Sarah name what was happening, and how curiosity-based questions can keep the door open without condoning use. We discuss the hardest parts too: sober-home boundaries, estrangement after age 18, and why parent self-care and therapy are not optional if you want to "survive" this rollercoaster of a crisis. Sarah also honestly shares that while she hopes for a good outcome, she remains cautious of hoping for a full return to what life used to be.  Finally, we discuss how Sarah found PAN and gained the resources and tools to raise her voice by sharing her experience on Capitol Hill. While recognizing the emotional toll recounting your story can take, she stresses how empowering the Hill Day was and how important it was for her to share her experience and make a difference, hopefully preventing another family from experiencing what she had, but also impacting our nation's leaders, many of whom still don't understand the depths of the heartache and trauma so many of these families face.  If you care about educating others about today's marijuana products and are interested in raising your voice to educate our leaders while advocating for policies that better protect your loved ones your communities and public health please contact us at pan@learnaboutsam.org.  Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

  3. Jun 15

    From D1 Baseball To Cannabis-Induced Psychosis-A Michigan Mom's Journey From Trauma to Hope and Advocacy

    A D1 baseball scholarship. A happy, close family. A teenager with a future that looked set. Then marijuana shows up in college, and what seemed “not that serious” quickly becomes the start of a long, brutal spiral: lost academics, lost baseball, escalating substance use, arrests, homelessness, and years of grief for the whole family. I’m joined by Nancy, a Michigan mom who shares her son’s story with clarity and courage. We talk about how cannabis stayed the common thread across 16 years of substance use disorder, and how legalization didn’t make marijuana safer, it made high-THC products easier to get. Nancy also walks us through a heartbreaking pivot point during her son's cancer treatment, when marijuana was suggested for pain, leading to frequent high-potency use that ultimately fed cannabis use disorder. The most chilling moment comes when Nancy describes cannabis-induced psychosis and a house fire, with marijuana as the only substance in his system. From there, we shift to what helps: court-ordered treatment, therapy, medication, family boundaries, and rebuilding a life one stable day at a time. We also dig into mental health pressures for competitive athletes, why identity loss can be a trigger, and how parent-to-parent support can pull families out of isolation. Finally, Nancy explains how Hill Day training sparked real action back home, including building Michigan Families Affected by Marijuana and pursuing practical prevention efforts like using opioid settlement funds for school substance use education.  If this conversation resonates with you and you would like to join PAN's efforts, please subscribe and share Fortitude and email us at PAN@learnaboutsam.org To contact Nancy about joining Michigan Families Affected by Marijuana (MIFAM) email her at Michiganfam2026@gmail.com If you need support or help in your recovery journey contact Parents of Addicted Loved Ones at https://palgroup.org/ Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

  4. May 21

    The Backpack Find That Changed Everything: A New Jersey Dad's Account of Cannabis Induced Psychosis and Loss and How it Led Him to Advocacy

    A straight-A kid with a huge friend group doesn’t fit most people’s picture of a cannabis crisis, which is exactly why Steve’s story will stop you in your tracks.  Steve from New Jersey joins me to talk about his son, Nick, and how a backpack find, and what first looked like sudden college anxiety unfolded into cannabis-induced psychosis and, tragically, a suicide that could have been prevented. Nick wasn’t “checked out” of life. He was working, social, and trying to do the right things, which made the warning signs easier to dismiss and harder to connect. We walk through the timeline: the first anxiety at the end of Nick’s freshman semester, the pandemic disruption, a transfer to a better-fit school, and the moment Steve’s wife finds a backpack full of marijuana and paraphernalia. Steve shares what he didn’t know then about today’s high-THC marijuana, THC potency, and the potential mental health risks including paranoia, psychosis, and suicidality. We also talk about a brutal barrier families run into: when a young adult is legally an adult, treatment programs may not address cannabis use unless the patient names it, even when parents see clear patterns. After Nick’s death, Steve explains how his family found information after hearing SAM's CEO, Kevin Sabet speak, and support through Laura Stack and Johnny’s Ambassadors, and why he now advocates with the Parent Action Network, showing up for Hill Days to meet with lawmakers and staffers educating on the harms of today's high potency products and advocating for public policies that protect our youth and communities from today's highly potent products. If you’re a parent, educator, clinician, or policymaker trying to understand cannabis-induced psychosis, teen mental health, and prevention, this conversation is honest, specific, and painfully instructive. If this hits close to home, please subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find these stories. If you're interested in sharing your story on Fortitude, or advocating with Parent Action Network, please reach out to Crissy@learnaboutsam.org or pan@learnaboutsam.org Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

  5. Apr 20

    Parent Action Network: A Conversation with Dr. Kevin Sabet on Bringing His Vision To Life

    Four years ago, Parent Action Network (PAN) starts with a simple realization: facts matter, but stories change minds. Crissy sits down with SAM CEO, Dr. Kevin Sabet, to unpack why organizing parents becomes the missing force in the marijuana legalization debate and why the human toll keeps showing up in our inbox every week. We talk about the loneliness of prevention work, the attacks advocates face, and the way one family’s loss can become a lasting purpose for policy change.  Kevin shares the story that still stops him in his tracks, Sally Schindel’s son Andy and the note he left behind. We dig into why those words cut through talking points, and how today’s high-potency cannabis, youth mental health concerns, and normalization collide in real homes and schools. If you’ve ever heard “it’s just marijuana,” we explain why that line falls apart when impairment affects other people, from bus drivers to pilots to public safety.  We also go deep on the New York Times and what it means when a legacy outlet finally admits “America has a marijuana problem” while still clinging to regulation. From there, we zoom out to Kevin’s book One Nation Under the Influence and the wider drug crisis, including fentanyl, safe supply drug substitution debates, psychedelics, and the prevention strategies that actually show results. If you care about smart drug policy, youth prevention, and advocacy that moves the needle, hit play, share this with a friend, and leave us a review. To learn more about the myths of marijuana and the drug policy crisis in this country you can find Dr. Sabet's books here: Reefer Sanity Smokescreen One Nation Under the Influence If you have a story to share please reach out to us at PAN@learnaboutsam.org  Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

  6. Apr 2

    A Texas Mother’s Story Of High Potency THC And A Life Lost Too Soon

    A tragedy can arrive quietly, then all at once. We talk with Texas mom Laura Broom about her son Gregori, a good kid with a bright path who became withdrawn during a major life transition and then encountered today’s marijuana landscape, where high potency THC and easy access can collide with depression, isolation, and pain. What stays with us is how short the timeline can be and how many details remain unknown for families left trying to make sense of the unthinkable. We also dig into the part of the story that surprises people: Laura’s family ran a drug and alcohol testing business, so they understood more than the average household about substances, labs, and consequences. Even then, the warning signs were easy to misread while juggling health issues, work, and everyday life. Laura shares the real-world red flags she noticed in hindsight, the way vape shop culture can connect young people to stronger products without obvious “deals” happening in the open, and why the commercialization and normalization of marijuana products changes the risk calculus for parents and communities. From there, we shift to what it takes to keep going. Laura explains “radical acceptance,” her I Cope To Hope Resiliency Framework, and why she chose to turn pain into purpose through mentoring and public health advocacy. We also share how connecting with Parent Action Network and attending the Hill Day with other families profoundly changed Laura's outlook. We also touch on the importance of continued advocacy regarding such federal bills as the No Dedcutions for Marijuana Businesses Act, and enforcing the implementation of the Farm Bill Loophole closure.  If you care about youth mental health, marijuana regulation, high potency THC, and practical ways families can advocate, this conversation is for you. To learn more about how you can advocate with PAN, contact us at PAN@learnaboutsam.org. Click here to listen to Laura's Podcast, Flourishing After Adversity  Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

  7. Mar 20

    Big Sky-High Stakes-How a Montana Mom is Courageously Speaking Out and Fighting Back!

    A teen tries THC at 14. Many years later, his mom is sitting in court watching her once bright, funny kid , full of promise, cycle through paranoia, delusions, lost jobs, and a system that's failed him because it can’t agree on what’s causing it. That’s the reality Patrice H. from Montana brings to Fortitude, and it’s a hard listen in the best way: honest, specific, and focused on what parents wish they’d known before high-THC cannabis entered the picture. We talk about cannabis-induced psychosis, why today’s marijuana products aren’t the low-potency weed many adults remember, and how early marijuana use can intersect with the developing adolescent brain. Patrice walks us through the scramble to get help, the isolation of being dismissed by professionals, and the moment a psychiatrist minimized cannabis even while prescribing mood stabilizers. We also get into the ripple effects families rarely say out loud: siblings living in fear, relationships breaking, and the constant shame that keeps parents silent. Then the story turns to advocacy and solutions. Patrice shares how finding Parent Action Network and Smart Approaches to Marijuana gave her language, community, and the confidence to speak up. We unpack what Parent Action Network’s Capitol Hill Day asks lawmakers to do, including implementing the Farm Bill loophole, tracking the costs of legalization, and pushing for stronger regulations that reflect real-world harms. If you’re a parent, educator, clinician, or policymaker trying to understand high-THC cannabis and mental health, this conversation offers both warning signs and a path forward. Be sure to share this with anyone you think needs a wake-up call! If you have had a similar experience and are interested in learning more about PAN's Hill Days, how you can raise your voice against todays harmful market, and being a guest on the Fortitude podcast, email us at PAN@learnaboutsam.org Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

  8. Mar 11

    An Indiana Doctor-Mom’s Battle With Seattle's "King's County Special" and the Fight to Free Her Son From the Grips of Marijuana

    A gentle, gifted student leaves home for college in Seattle, finds easy access to high‑potency marijuana and within months is wandering Seattle sleepless, homeless and delusional. A late-night ER visit unsurprisingly reveals what the ER doctors refer to as "The King's County Special"-ONLY high potency THC in the tox screen, leading this physician-mom to confront the truth she wasn’t trained to see: every relapse is a result of marijuana triggered psychosis; every stretch of abstinence and medication brings her son back to himself. We walk through the hard details—why early warning signs can hide behind good grades, how “normal” college stress masks escalating use, and what happens when step‑down care collides with pandemic shutdowns. Jackie explains the diagnoses of cannabis use disorder and bipolar I, the pattern that repeated for years, and the painful recalibration of expectations as her son rebuilt stability, finished a degree at 27, and finally moved out without slipping back. Along the way, we unpack potency and access, from labeled 28% joints to concentrates, and the stubborn myth that today’s THC is the same as decades past. Support systems become lifelines. We share how Johnny’s Ambassadors, Smart Approaches to Marijuana, parent networks and important books on the topic, like that of Dr. Xavier Amador, fill knowledge gaps and reduce isolation, and why most rehab tracks—built for other drugs—can marginalize marijuana patients. Jackie brings both clinical insight and lived experience to a clear takeaway: prevention must address potency and perception, primary care needs better screening and guidance, and families need communication and support tools to replace pressure with partnership. There’s hope here, grounded in a year of sobriety and steady footing, and a call to see cannabis-induced psychosis as a public health crisis, not a punchline. Learn more about the myths of marijuana by reading Smokescreen by SAM's CEO, Dr. Kevin Sabet, and to learn more about navigating your loved one's mental health crisis read Dr. Amador's series on the LEAP system.   Finally, if this story resonates, with you, please share it with a parent, educator or legislator who might need to be educated.  Follow PAN and SAM: PAN: https://parentaction.network/ https://x.com/parentactionSAM https://www.facebook.com/parentactionnetworkSAM SAM: https://learnaboutsam.org/ https://x.com/learnaboutsam https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutsam

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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

A podcast by the Parent Action Network (PAN), a division of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), dedicated to amplifying the voices of parents whose lives have been devastated by the harmful effects of marijuana. Each episode features personal interviews with parents sharing their heart-wrenching stories of loss, addiction, and the impact on their families. Through these powerful narratives, PAN aims to educate, inspire, and mobilize listeners to take action against the widespread dangers of marijuana use.

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